Instrument board panel and lighting construction



T T929. J. R. PADESKY 1312326 INSTRUMENT BOARD PANEL AND LIGHTINGCONSTRUCTION Filed July 21, 1928 Patented May 7, 1929. UNITED, STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. PADESKY, OF LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL GAUGE 8cEQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

INSTRUMENT BOARD PANEL AND LIGHTING CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed Jul 21,

This invention relates to improvements in intsrument board panels andlighting constructions and similar appliances and to the application oflights to said panels, particularly ofthe type commonly used with motorvehicles.

Animportant feature of the device is that it simplifies the fastening ofthe light socket to the instrument board panel, reduces the cost ofsame; and is especially efficient in that it forms a dust proofdetachable attachment and at the same time insures against the partsbecoming loosened by the jars received by the motor vehicle. It has 1been the common practice to employ a special housing to receive thelight socket and this housing has usually been welded to the panel andthen the socket was welded within the housing, Whereas by this improvedmanner of installation, the special housing is dispensed with and thesocket is detachably attached directly to the panel in a way to form adust proof panel and one that is so securely fastened that it cannotreadily be hand the connections are such as to prevent rattling.

Other objects and advantages will be in part indicated in the followingdescription and in part rendered apparenttherefrom in connection withthe an'nexedflrawings.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to apprehend the underlyingfeatures here;

of that they may embody the same in the various ways contemplated bythis invention, drawings depicting a preferred typical construction havebeen annexed as a part of this disclosure and, in such drawings, likecharacters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout "all theviews, of whic In the drawings Figure l is a front elevational view ofthe interior of the panel. hig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 ofFig. 1. Fi 3 is a rear view of the panel, parts t ereof being brokenaway. Fig. 4 is a detail view and Fig. 5 is a detail view pf amodification.

In this improved device an electric light socket 1 has preferablintegral flanges 2 projecting from the si es of the socket. A flexiblecircumferential gasket 3, preferably of cork, is inserted within thesocket to lie adjacent to the bulb 4 and this gasket is jarred loosefrom the panel, and on the other 1928. Serial NO. 294,486.

proportioned so that its forward circumferentlal edge will projectbeyond both the socket and the flanges 2 projecting therefrom. The dialplate of the instrument is marked 5. The panel base is formed With proecting lugs 6 and 7 which are positioned on the rear surface of thepanel soas to engage with the flanges. The flanges and co-operating lugsare so formed as to require a limited amount of pressure to be exertedupon the socket, in order to bring the lugs into locking engagement withthe flanges of the socket. This pressure will necessarily cause somecompression of the gasket, which 1s espec1ally desirable in an applianceof this character Where dust is apt to enter within the instrumentimpairing the efliciency of the electric lighted dial face andfurthermore this compression of the gasket tends to hold the parts inlocking engagement, thereby overcoming any tendency of the parts tobecome loosened by jars incident to the travel of the motor vehicle overthe usual roads.

The panel is preferably formed on its forward face with a semi-circularshield 8 which projects outwardly a sufficient distance to cause therays of light from the bulb to radiate in' the desired direction tolight the instruments 9 to the best advantage.

From the drawings it is apparent that the locking lugs 6 and 7 are sopositioned and the slots 10 so formed with the enlarged openings 11 thatit is necessary to so position the flange of the socket that the initialengagement of the lugs and flanges are on a diagonal line and by turningthe socket bothlugs will pass toward the reduced end of the slot and bebrought on a direct line.

In the case of the modified structure shown in Fig. 5 the projectingflanges are formed with stops 12 at opposite ends of the respectiveflanges and in applying this modified structure to the panel, the socketis positioned so that the lugs 13 lap over the flanges in a similarmanner to that just described and by turning the socket on the panelwith sufiicient compression of the gasket the lugs can be broughtagainst the stops 12 thereby securely locking the structure to thepanel.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthis invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readilyadapt it for various utilizations by retaining one or more of thefeatures that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constituteessential characteristics of either the generic or specific aspects ofthis invention and, therefore, such adaptations should be, and areintended to be, comprehended Within the meaning 7 and range ofequivalency of the following claims 2-- Having thus revealed thisinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure the followingcombinations and elements, or equivalents thereof, by Letters Patent ofUnited States 1. The combination of a panel for instruments, with alight socket, a compressible gasket secured to said socket of a size andshape to project beyond the body portion of said socket,.interlockingdevices on the panel and socket, whereby the socket can be locked to thepanel by exerting pressure on the socket to compress the gasket againstthe panel and simultaneously bring the interlocking devices intoengagement.

2. In an instrument panel, embracing instruments and dials attachedthereto, the

combination of an electric light socket with p a compressible gasketsecured to said socket of a size and shape to project beyond the edgesof the socket, interlocking devices on said socket and panel, the gasketbeing so positioned as to interfere with the engagement of said locking.cdevices until said gasket has been .compressed'by pressure exertedagainst said socket, the gasket being of such character as to make thepanel and socket impervious to dust and simultaneously hold theinterlocking devices against unlocking movement.

3. In an instrument of the character specified the combination of aninstrument panel board with light sockets; flanges for said socketsprojecting therefrom, a compressible gasket having a major part thereofwithin the socket and the edges extending axially beyond the flanges,said flanges being formed with slots having enlarged openings at theends of the slots, the enlarged opening of one slot being diagonallyopposite the enlarged opening of a companion flange; attaching deviceson the panel, the parts being so arranged that by compression of thegasket the attaching devices can enter the slots and secure the socketto the panel.

4:. In an instrument board panel and lighting construction thecombination of a panel having a plurality of openings for lights withlooking studs projecting therefrom, light sockets having side flangesformed with slots in said flanges, compressible memberssecured to saidsockets having portions projecting beyond the body portion a of thesocket, said sockets being capable of being positioned whereby the studscan enter the slots upon pressure being exerted to compress thecompressible member against the panel to lock the socket directly to thepanel.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

' JOHN R. PADESKY.

